Security

Newport-Mesa Unified School District officials will host three meetings with members of the Andersen Elementary School community to discuss whether to erect fencing. Trustees planned to receive reports from staff about costs associated with security at the elementary school during their meeting Tuesday night, but decided to postpone the discussion to give staff more time to price fencing, according to a news release issued Monday. Trustees recently approved fencing at Adams and Victoria elementary schools in Costa Mesa.

Crowds were modest, lines short and tempers under control Wednesday morning at John Wayne Airport in Orange County. Arriving passengers, waiting to pick up their luggage, said they encountered no more hassle than usual in their trip to California -- and less, in some cases. Victor Allen, 38, a Seattle computer programmer visiting his family in California for Thanksgiving, said that when he passed through security at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Wednesday morning, he noticed that full-body scanners were on hand but not in use. Allen said he was prepared for a scan and would have probably opted for one instead of a pat-down, but he and other travelers went through the familiar metal detectors instead.

Deepa Bharath Managers of several high-profile areas and buildings in the area are taking precautions during wartime against terrorist attacks or other acts of aggression. South Coast Plaza has "a plan in place for all contingencies," spokeswoman Debra Gunn Downing said. "We have enhanced security with orange alert," she said. "Our specific security measures are confidential, but we have very strong relationships with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies."

An Orange County coastal security bill was shelved Thursday by its author after assurances the coastline was adequately protected by Orange County Harbor Patrol, officials said. Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim) announced that AB 2873 would be put on the inactive bill file. Solorio added once a new Orange County Sheriff is chosen, that official can help determine if the bill is needed. The bill intended to keep coastal security levels at the current strength in order to maintain safety.

Police are looking for a woman who nearly hit a South Coast Plaza security guard Tuesday afternoon with her car as she escaped with hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise. About 12:10 p.m. police said a woman was spotted leaving Saks Fifth Avenue at South Coast Plaza with clothing worth about $300. With guards chasing her, the woman made it to her car and backed out of her parking space with the driver’s side door still open, nearly hitting one of her pursuers. She got away and security were uninjured, Sgt. Bryan Glass said.

Police arrested a woman who abandoned two 9-year-old girls at the Kmart in Costa Mesa, officials said Wednesday. The store's security recognized Theresa Maris, 32, of Buena Park from a previous alleged theft when she entered the store at 2200 Harbor Blvd. with two 9-year-old stepsisters and a 4-year-old girl at about 4:50 p.m. Monday, Costa Mesa police said. Kmart security saw Maris put an item in her handbag and try to return it, police said. She left the store when asked for identification.

June Casagrande A dramatic drop in burglary and petty theft at Orange Coast College fueled a 32% decrease in overall crime on campus this year, officials announced Friday. College officials credit the drop from 173 total crimes last year to 117 this year to stepped-up security patrols. "It's not easy to break into a car in our parking lot because we have a security presence there virtually all the time," said Jim Carnett, a spokesman for the college.

While vigilance is required in our post-9/11 society, we must be careful to not swing the pendulum of security in the direction of absurd extremes. A modicum of common sense should inform our reactions to individuals who enter and live in our country. Of course, bureaucracies often intrude and apply ludicrous standards. While any ties to terrorism must elicit a swift and appropriate response, concocting artificial determinants to curtail residency do not speak well of America.

Paul Clinton As America prepares to remember the worst terrorist attacks in the nation's history, a local congressman is calling for a fresh approach to how the United States Coast Guard protects ports and coastlines, which could mean added security for the country's largest pleasure harbor. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, whose district includes Costa Mesa, has asked to be seated on a homeland security committee that would be created with a new agency that has been proposed by President George W. Bush.

What are the goals of terrorism? To break down the rule of law into tyranny — usually controlled by an absolutism as espoused by a particular form of radical religious or political doctrine. To have this absolutism take control of governments. To stifle free dissent against and even discussion about the views and tenets of this absolutist doctrine. What are the methods of terrorism? Employ fear as a tactic by using random violence against government institutions and civilians.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District trustees voted Tuesday night to hire a nonprofit safety organization to study security at Andersen Elementary School in Newport Beach. The district will spend $5,987 for Safe Havens International to visit the school and determine what it will take to ensure student and staff safety, according to the district's staff report. Trustees began looking at fencing at three elementary schools, including Andersen, last year. Without significant complaint, they approved fencing at Adams and Victoria elementary schools in Costa Mesa in November, but received pushback from the Andersen community.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District officials will host three meetings with members of the Andersen Elementary School community to discuss whether to erect fencing. Trustees planned to receive reports from staff about costs associated with security at the elementary school during their meeting Tuesday night, but decided to postpone the discussion to give staff more time to price fencing, according to a news release issued Monday. Trustees recently approved fencing at Adams and Victoria elementary schools in Costa Mesa.

A split school board recently asked how much it would cost to post armed guards at campuses in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. In a 4 to 3 vote Tuesday, Newport-Mesa Unified School District trustees asked administrators to find out the price tag for armed security at a single elementary school or high school - something that could scale districtwide. In interviews after the vote, trustees emphasized the exploration doesn't mean they'll eventually put guns in the hands of guards, but the idea was distasteful enough to some board members to vote against even finding out the price.

BOY'S BASKETBALL Newport Harbor 72, Fountain Valley 65 FOUNTAIN VALLEY — Senior guard Nic Sargeant had 27 points to match a season high, and added 10 rebounds Friday to help the visiting Sailors clinch one of the Sunset League's three automatic berths into the CIF Southern Section playoffs. Newport Harbor (14-11, 5-3 in league) is in third place, one game back of second-place Edison. Los Alamitos is in first at 8-0. With two games left next week, the Sailors have to win out and hope Edison loses once to share second place with the Chargers.

After listening to reports from several local agencies urging Newport-Mesa Unified School District trustees to approve fencing at Andersen Elementary School, the board directed staff to continue drafting plans for the project. However, trustees did not approve the project in its entirety during a study session Tuesday. "Now that we know our areas of concern, we need to see what we can afford," said Trustee Dana Black. The proposed fencing would cover the perimeter of the campus and extend as far as the edge of the blacktop, leaving the field area unfenced, according to the district's renderings.

By Jeremiah Dobruck and This post has been corrected, as noted below. | December 11, 2013

Schools in Costa Mesa are back to using a stopgap security measure now that a police officer assigned to the city's high school campuses has moved on to work in the private sector. Since last month, Estancia and Costa Mesa high schools no longer have a police officer dedicated to the campuses. The district's two Newport Beach high schools have one each. Instead, the Costa Mesa campuses have returned to relying on patrol officers who visit campuses as their time allows. "It's not a perfect deal," said Chuck Hinman, deputy superintendent with the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

A local businessman who was paid tens of thousands of dollars by Costa Mesa to act as a consultant during the city's 60th anniversary celebration is suspected of participating in a Ponzi scheme that cheated a Newport Beach man out of millions, according to a lawsuit filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Roland Barrera of Costa Mesa allegedly worked as a salesman in an investment scam run out of Austin, Texas, that collected almost $18 million from at least 80 clients who were promised generous returns from oil and gas securities.

In response to concerns from parents, the Newport-Mesa Unified School District is circulating a survey to gain insight into how the district should secure access to three elementary schools. Adams and Victoria in Costa Mesa and Roy O. Anderson in Newport Beach are the only three of the district's 22 elementary schools that do not have fencing around the instructional areas, said district spokeswoman Laura Boss. The survey, which is accessible online, asks respondents to specify the school their children attend or the one in closest to their home.

A former Costa Mesa police officer and a cadre of other law-enforcement veterans say they believe they've come up with a viable plan to prevent violence in schools Jess Gilman, a 27-year police veteran, retired from Costa Mesa's department in October. He'd spent the past 17 years working as a school resource officer watching over Costa Mesa and Estancia high schools. Two months after his retirement, when a gunman killed 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., Gilman began thinking there had to be a better way to protect school campuses.

COSTA MESA - The official Daily Pilot Cup soccer uniform consists of a colored T-shirt and, well, whatever else the kids decide to wear. The third- and fourth-grade girls' silver division team from Mariners Elementary took extreme creative license when it came to everything else but their day-glo orange T-shirts in the opening round against Kaiser on Tuesday at Costa Mesa High. There were lime green socks, pink socks, multi-colored socks, some of which had patterns. There were yellow socks, black socks, red socks, white socks and even one player who chose a separate color for each sock.